Game apparatus



May 7, 1946.

FiledDec. 20,-1 944 s Sheets-Sheet 1 100/5 W. PAGEL May 7, 1946. L, wPAGEL 2,400,019

GAME APPARA TUS Filed Dec. 20, 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 3mm 100/5 IV- PAGMay 7, 1946. w. A L 2,400,019

GAME APPARATUS Filed Dec. 20, 1944' s Sheets-Sheet s 100/5 W. PAW-FPatented May 7, 1946 GAME APPARATUS Louis W. Pagel, Denver, Colo.

Application December 20, 1944; Serial No. 569,050

4' Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in game apparatus and moreparticularly to a golf players stroke measuring machine.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a gameapparatus including a golf club driven element and indicating meanswhereby the practising golfer can determine the force of his stroke incharacters corresponding to the yardage a olf ball would have carried inactual play.

Another important'object of the invention is to provide a golf strokemeasuring machine wherein the parts are positive acting, durable andfoolproof at all times.

A further object of the invention is to provide a golf stroke measuringmachine of balanced construction and which because of this simplicityshould be of low cost to manufacture.

A further object of the invention is to provide a golfers strokemeasuring machine wherein the computation of the machine issubstantially accurate and closely relative in indication to the actualyardage that would result from the same impact on a regulation golfcourse. I

These and various other important objects and advantages of theinvention shall become apparent to th reader of the followingdescription.

In the drawings:

- Figure 1 is a side elevational View of the machine shown embedded inthe ground with portions broken away to disclose the internal discs.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the structure shown in Figure1.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on line t3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional View taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a Vertical sectional view taken on line 55 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the outer discshowing the counter-balancing and rotation retarding vanes.

Figure 7 is a section taken substantially on line 'll' of Figure 6. i

Figure 8 is a fragmentary side elevational view showing a portion of thedriven member in section.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary exploded sectional view of the driven member.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through theperipheral walls of the discs to show the relation of the stops.

Figure 11 is a fragmentary perspective view of the inner disc.

Figure 12 is a fragmentary inside elevational view showing the innerdisc and the ratchet release associated therewith.

Referring to the drawings wherein like numerals designate like parts, itcan be seen that reference character A denotes ground. which isexcavated to receive the present invention, the same including a narrowcase 15 having a rounded bot tom 6 and a detachable elongated coverplate I. The cover plate I has an elongated slot 8 therein toaccommodate the protruding driven member of a rotary assembly generallyreferred to by numeral 9.

Thus as is clearly shown in Figure 4, the axial portion of each sidewall of the case 5 has an outstanding hub ill, and a fixed shaft i! isdisposed through the case 5, and hubs Ill, and secured against rotationby pins [2;

Within the case 5 and rotatable on the fixed shaft II are inner andouter shallow cups l3, l4 provided with telesooped peripheral walls l5,l5 respectively.

As is clearly shown in Figures 4 and 5, the'inner cup [3 has a smallercircular and concentric wall I1 around the inner side of which is a rowof ratchet teeth l8.

Between the cup 13, I4 and the walls l5, I1 is a flat coiled spring l9,having its inner end secured by pin 20 to the inner cup l3, while itsouter end is secured by a pin 2| to the outer cup l4.

As can be seen in Figure 10, the inner cu wall I5 carries a stop lug 22,while the opposed side of the wall [6 of the outer cup 14 carries a stoplug 23, cooperative with the lug 22.

The outer side of the outer cup M, at one side of its center is providedwith several radially disposed and obliquely projecting fins 24, whichnot only add additional weight to this oif center portion of the cup Hbut also serve to slow up rotation of the assembly after the cups havelocked together.

The added weight of the fins 24 will of course cause gravitation of thecup 14 with the fins at the lower portion thereof, and this will serveto always bring about the projection of the driven member through theslot 8 of the cover plate 1 when the rotary assembly 9 has ceased torotate. The driven member consists of a streamlined body 25 projectingoutwardly from the peripheral wall l6 and the large end of this body 25has a reduced and threaded projection 26, having a concavity 21 forpartly receiving a resilient ball 28. Numeral 29 denotes a half socket,internally threaded for disposition over the projection 26 and this hasa transverse arcuate flange portion 30 for abutting the ball 28, leavingan opening 3| through which a portion of the ball can bulge or project,as in the manner shown in Figure 8.

Theupper portion of the body 25 has an upstanding foot en ageable lip32, the purpose of which shall be explained hereinafter.

Secured to the stationary shaft H is a collar 33 having a tooth 34 atthe top portion thereof. Engageable with the tooth 34 is a tooth 35 onthe dog 36. A rocker 31a on the outer cup 14 has one end pivotallyconnected to the dog 36 and. its other end connected to a link 310, thelink in turn being pivoted to one end of a, second rocker 3111 on thedisc M. The other end of the rocker 31b is connected to one end of alink 38, while the other end of the link 38 is connected to one end of arockable dog 39 engageable with the annular row of ratchet teeth 40 atthe inside of the inner disc wall ll. (See Figure 3.) A tension spring4! serves to hold the dog 39 in a position engaging the ratchet teeth18.

The periphery of the inner cup l3 has indicia thereon in the form ofgraduations preferably progressing from zero to four hundred, thesecorresponding to yards.

In the operation of the machine, the golfer, with the use of a golfstick, drives against the resilient ball 28. This impact of the clubhead against the driven member sets the outer cup It in rotary motion.The spring I9 absorbs the impact of the drive and then begins to set theinner cup I3 in motion along with the outer cup. The distance the wallE6 of the outer cup travels over the wall 15 of the inner cup 13 andbefore the inner cup begins to rotate is indicative of the force of theimpact and corresponds by reading of the scale (see Figure 11) to theactual yardage a golf ball would have carried on a golf course, subjectto the same impact.

When the inner cup begins to rotate with the outer cup, while locked bythe ratchet means shown in Figure 12, the cups will remain in thislocked position, coming to a stop when the fins 24, due to the increasedweight of this portion of the cup M reaches a low point. Then the drivenmember will have assumed an upright position as shown in Figure 1. Theouter cup H! in gravit-ating to this position will carry the locked cup!3 with it and the score indicative of the yardage of the stroke willappear from the scale on the wall through an opening 42 in the Wall l6adjacent the driven element 28.

When the practicing golfer has satisfied himself as to his score for theparticular stroke, he may engage one foot against the upstanding lip 13on the driven member body 25 and push the outer cup in a clockwisedirection, that is toward the right in Figure 1. This will result in theactuation of the dog 36, which in turn will actuate the dog 39, allowingthe inner cup l3 to be rotated back to zero position by the spring H),which until this act, has been under compression. The inner cup willstop at its zero" position when its stop lug 22 abuts the top lug 23 ofthe outer cup 14. (See Figures 3 and 10.)

The machine is now set for another practicestroke.

While the foregoing description sets forth the invention in specificterms, it is to be understood that numerous changes in the shape, sizeand materials may be resorted to without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention as claimed hereinafter.

Having described the invention what is claimed as new is:

l. A golf practicing machine comprising a pair of independentlyrotatable elements, a driven member carried by one of the elements, oneof said elements being provided with indicating means, the other elementbeing provided with graduations cooperative with the indicating means,spring means connecting the elements and releasable locking means forthe elements, said indicating means consisting of a window in the drivenmember carrying element, the graduations on the other elementprogressing from zero to a high score and stop means between theelements for stopping the elements with the zero position of thegraduations exposed through said window.

2. A golf practicing machine comprising a pair of independentlyrotatable elements, a driven member carried by one of the elements, oneof said elements being provided with indicating means, the other elementbeing provided with gradu-ations cooperative with the indicating means,spring means connecting the elements and releasable locking means forthe elements, said locking means comprising ratchet teeth on one of theelements, a stationary member having a tooth, a dog engageable with thestationary member tooth, a dog engageable with the ratchet teeth,pivotal connections between the dogs, said dogs being adapted to bereleased upon rotating the driven member carrying element in a directionopposite to its normal driven direction of rotation.

3. A golf practicing machine comprising a pair of independentlyrotatable elements, a driven member carried by one of the elements, oneof said elements being provided with indicating means, the other elementbeing provided With graduations cooperative with the indicating means,spring means connecting the elements and releasable locking means forthe elements, and means for counter-balancing the elements with thedriven member in upright position, said elements being provided with ahousing having a top, said top having a slot therein through which thedriven element projects.

4. A golf practicing machine comprising a pair of independentlyrotatable elements, a driven member carried by one of the elements, oneof said elements being provided with indicating means, the other elementbeing provided with gr-aduations cooperative with the indicating means,spring means connecting the elements and releasable locking means forthe elements, said driven member consisting of a protuberance on saidmember provided with a sectional socket and a resilient driven elementheld by said socket.

LOUIS W. PAGEL.

